In the Barnyard: Who are Bohemian Farmgirls?

Bohemian Farmgirl is something that has evolved over years of trying to figure out how to weave all of the meaningful parts of my life together. This is what it means to me, and if it touches part of your soul then my guess is that you are a Bohemian Farmgirl too.

1. Growing a Family--First and foremost, comes family. This may be your biological or chosen family, but whomever your family includes, it's roots dig deep and provide grounding for growth above the surface of the soil.

2. Planting a Farm--Modern homesteading is a way of life for a Bohemian Farmgirl. This may include anything from a windowsill garden to acres of land, buying local and supporting small farms to growing and raising all of your food yourself, and cultivating dreams of homesteading no matter if you live in the city or country.

3. Nurturing a Creative Life--This is the heart of a Bohemian Farmgirl and what brings us all together creating a community of ideas and inspiration. Living a creative life is the wellspring of joy that provides energy to make our dreams reality, no matter what the circumstances. And we all help each other along the way.

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Christina Knisley

Chicken Scratch started as an online diary of my journey towards self-sufficiency and homesteading. It begins in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in New York, travels to New York City for a time, and returns home to the Hudson Valley. This is where the story continues and I thank you for travelling with me.
My goal with this blog is to connect Bohemian Farmgirls around the world with so that we can support each other as we cultivate our homesteading dreams.

2. Place wick in mold (I used a pencil to prop it up in the melted wax)

3. Pour wax into mold or container and let cool

That's it! Instead of waiting until I have my own beehive and learning how to harvest the wax, I bought some beeswax online at www.bulkapothocary.com (1 lb for about $9). They also sell wicks (100 for $6) and tons of other homesteading supplies for soapmaking and natural body care. I picked up some cute little tart tins at a yard sale for $2 to use as molds/candleholders. To melt the wax, you need to do so in a double boiler. I opted to purchase a candlemaking pitcher and a wax thermometer but you really don't need anything special. You just need a pot of some kind that has a pour spout and one that you can devote to only candlemaking. (The wax will stick to the pot.) I do recommend a candlemaking thermometer to monitor the temperature of the wax.

Making homemade candles was so easy and fun, that my daughter and I will make lots more to give away at Christmas time. (Oops! There goes the surprise!)

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Continuing my work with Jill Winger's Your Custom Homestead e-book, it is time to start taking action. Step 15 is to plan out your year with important dates of things to do so that they don't sneak up on you. Things that will go on my annual planning calendar may not be completely relevant now. But when the time comes to call a patch of grass my own, I know I will be overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done. Having my plan ready to put into action will keep things fun and enjoyable. Let's say we move into our farmhouse on October 1st. I can open up my plan book to that date and see what needs to be done so that the spring gardening season will be ready when the last frost chills the ground. There are tons of free gardening planning tools online that make the growing season a breeze. Plug in your gardening zone and the plants you want to grow and viola! The planner will even send you a reminder so that when you are up to your elbows in water bath canning, you don't forget to put in the next round of plants in the empty space where your tomatoes were yesterday, ensuring that you have more veggies in the weeks to come. My favorite garden planner and journal is on the site www.smartgardener.com.

www.smartgardener.com

Other things I will put on my planning list include giving vaccines to my farm animals (when I have them), checking all the fences to see what might need repair, ordering and storing hay, chopping firewood (which will pretty much be daily...), and ordering chicks. In addition to planning the farm work, I will be planning and facilitating art workshops and retreats. As exciting as all of this work feels, I also feel a little twirl of anxiety in my gut just from writing this. Better get started on that plan!

Step 16, is to start doing what I can. Jill explains this perfectly. "If you are waiting for the stars to align perfectly before you start canning or putting in that garden or building those cold frames," (that's me!), "then you are going to be waiting a long time....I want to encourage you NOT to sit around and wait for the 'big day' to come. You might not be able to do everything, but remember that every little bit helps." Jill goes on to provide a perfect example for me. Even though I don't have my own veggie patch yet, I can buy veggies at the farmers' market and practice canning them. Looking back at my list that I wrote when I first started Your Custom Homestead, I see several things I can do right now. I can email the guy in the woodworking studio to schedule the safety class so I can learn how to build things. I can make a list of questions to ask when I go to the sheep and wool festival in October. I can get out the candle making supplies I bought and make candles. SARK taught me all about "micromovements", and I will create a micromovement right now: Get out my weekly planner and put it on the table with a pencil. :)

Affiliate Disclosure

In order to attempt to make a living from this creative life as artist and writer, Bohemian Farmgirl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I do not recommend products I do not use myself in support of my homesteading efforts. These modest earnings are greatly appreciated and allow me to continue doing the work that I love. Thank you!